Former South African Test opener Jacques Rudolph will retire from all forms of cricket at the end of the 2017 English season. The 36-year old has stepped down as four-day captain for Glamorgan with immediate effect, but will continue leading the T20 side until his retirement.”The time feels right to call an end to my playing career,” Rudolph said. “I have been incredibly fortunate to have enjoyed playing the game I love for the last 20 years. But at the end of this summer it will be time to focus on a new venture away from cricket and spend more time with my young family.”Rudolph, a product of the famed Afrikaans Hoer Seunskool, made his first-class debut twenty seasons ago in the 1997-98 summer. He played 48 Tests in two stints – the first 35 came between 2003 and 2006 and the remaining 13 between 2011 and 2012 – because he had signed a Kolpak deal with Yorkshire in 2007.By scoring 1000 runs or more in his first four seasons with the county, Rudolph found his way back into the South African team. But his second coming yielded only one Test century and he was dropped in November 2012. Rudolph then turned his attention to playing franchise cricket for the Titans and eventually called time on his South Africa career after the 2015-16 season.Rudolph has been with Glamorgan since 2014 and has captained them for the last two seasons. In 2017, he scored 319 runs in five first-class matches at 35.44 and 305 runs in eight one-day matches at 38.12. The T20 competition he will lead Glamorgan in begins on July 7. While Rudolph has not detailed what life after cricket holds, he has interest in a game farm with fellow South African batsman Boeta Dippenaar.With Rudolph standing down, Glamorgan have given the Championship captaincy to their 35-year-old Australian seamer Michael Hogan until the end of the season.

England Lions stunned South Africa A with a late burst of six wickets in 16 overs to capitalise on a superb unbeaten century by Ben Foakes on a fluctuating second day of the first-class match in Canterbury.

ECB Reporters Network22-Jun-2017
Scorecard Ben Foakes celebrates reaching his hundred for England Lions•Getty Images

England Lions stunned South Africa A with a late burst of six wickets in 16 overs to capitalise on a superb unbeaten century by Ben Foakes on a fluctuating second day of the first-class match in Canterbury.Foakes, who was on 77 overnight, ended unbeaten on 127 in a total of 386, his first Lions century and his seventh in first-class cricket.The tourists responded with an aggressive opening partnership of 164 inside 41 overs between their young captain Aiden Markram and Heino Kuhn, a 33-year-old who has made seven T20 international appearances.But Jamie Overton dragged the Lions back into the game with a superb spell from the Pavilion End in the evening session.Then Jamie Porter followed up with a burst of three wickets in three overs – his first for the Lions.Tom Helm chipped in with the prize scalp of Temba Bavuma, and when Sam Curran trapped Dane Piedt lbw, the tourists had lost six wickets for 31. They will resume on Friday on 227 for 7 – still 159 behind.Overton’s first wicket was a gift from Markram, who top-edged a pull to long leg where Helm took a cool catch.
But Overton then stunned Kuhn with a rapid yorker which won an lbw decision, shortly after he had reached a 114-ball century.The Somerset bowler could easily have had at least one more wicket but it was Porter who claimed the third breakthrough as Theunis de Bruyn, another of the six members of this South African team with senior international experience, pulled a short ball to Haseeb Hameed at midwicket.The 23-year-old Essex seamer then dismissed Khaya Zondo and Heinrich Klaasen in the space of four balls, both snapped up at second slip by Lions captain Keaton Jennings.Earlier Foakes had continued to play with positive intent, punching the first two balls of the morning from Beuran Hendricks through the covers for four.He reached his century from 151 balls with 13 fours and added four more, helped by lower-order support from Helm and Jack Leach in stands of 44 and 53 respectively – although the morning session was interrupted by a violent electrical storm.Porter fell quickly to leave Foakes 14 short of his career best, and after 284 minutes at the crease he trotted back to the pavilion to change into his wicketkeeping gear – meaning he has now been on the field for every ball of well over four sessions.

Bruno Fernandes has insisted he is the right man to captain Manchester United amid criticism from the likes of Roy Keane and Paul Ince.

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Fernandes defends position as United captainPortuguese says he is 'targeted' for drop in goals'No one has a problem with me'WHAT HAPPENED?

Fernandes has received a lot of criticism for his body language since becoming United captain, with several pundits saying that his constant complaining and sniping at referees does not help the team's cause. However, the Portuguese claims the real reason he is being criticised is because his goals and assists output has dropped after his lightning fast start to life at Old Trafford following a big-money move from Sporting in January 2020.

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Legendary United captain Roy Keane has been a fierce critic of Fernandes since he was named captain and criticised his decision to give a penalty to Marcus Rashford against Everton on Sunday. Paul Ince has also slammed the midfielder, saying he makes everything about himself when he should be galvanising his team-mates.

WHAT FERNANDES SAID

The United skipper told a press conference: "Obviously you don’t like to be criticised, everyone is the same, but at the same time I have to do what I think is the best for my team. It is quite normal when you play for Manchester United you are going to get criticised, even if you do well or bad, if you do the wrong or the right thing. I just have to deal with that, it is normal since I arrived at the club. In the beginning was everything perfect, because when you arrive in the first game if you do something different than anyone else is doing, is gonna be all flowers. But after that I understand the tough part is always coming, because when the result is not coming, when the performance are not what everyone expects to be, because the expectations are always higher and higher."

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FERNANDES ON WHY HE IS BEING CRITICISED

Fernandes added: "I know since I arrived at the club my numbers made myself a target so not keeping the same numbers on goals and assists is sometimes a problem for me in the criticism because they are gonna take from there. Now is the captaincy, there is gonna be always something. Now my focus is on the team, the staff, everyone who works with me day by day, I think they are pretty happy with me, the way I am is the same since I arrived at the club, it has not changed since being captain. I don’t think it has to change. I am really open with everyone so no one until now has had a problem with me, so I think I should keep like that, everyone is pretty happy with my leadership."

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was rocked by the exit of one of his star players earlier this month as Portuguese winger Jota completed a move away from Parkhead.

The 24-year-old phenomenon opted to join Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, where he will play alongside French internationals Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanta, in a deal reportedly worth £25m.

However, the Hoops will not see all of that fee as Benfica, who sold him to the Scottish giants last summer, are due to receive £7.5m from their 30% sell-on clause.

£17.5m is still a hefty profit on the £6.5m they paid to sign the exciting winger on a permanent basis in 2022 and it could provide Rodgers with the funds he needs to find a replacement.

Who could replace Jota at Celtic?

The Northern Irish tactician could find Jota's heir by securing a deal to sign Yang Hyun-jun from South Korean side Gangwon FC this summer.

Football Scotland reported earlier this month that the club have agreed to a £2.1m deal to sign the young winger but the K League 1 outfit are pushing to keep their prized asset until January as they battle against relegation to the second tier.

Celtic must now push to bring him in immediately as the potential is there for him to be an exciting replacement for Jota heading into the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign.

Yang's form for Gangwon in 2022 suggests that he could be an excellent addition for Rodgers as the 21-year-old magician impressed in spite of his team's average season.

The South Korean side scored 47 goals in 33 league matches and lost more games (14) than they won (13).

During that time, the South Korea U23 international plundered eight goals – 17% of the club's total – and created six 'big chances' for his teammates, which was rewarded with five assists.

The talented youngster, who was described as "highly creative" by FC Twente philosopher and analyst Joost van der Leij, was able to showcase his attacking quality as a scorer and creator without playing in a successful team.

Now, imagine what he could do as part of a dominant Celtic squad that scored 114 goals and won 32 of their 38 Premiership matches last season. 17% of that goal tally would work out as 19 strikes, which highlights the difference playing in a more productive outfit can make for an attacker.

Jota proved himself to be a consistent performer out wide as he scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists in 26 league starts for the Hoops, with only Kyogo Furuhashi (27) able to boast a better goal return for the club.

Yang, who is three years younger than the Portuguese ace, may not have reached those impressive numbers at the top end of the pitch in his career so far but his form for a struggling Gangwon side in 2022 indicates that he could thrive if given the opportunity to line up as part of a lethal Celtic attack next season.

Therefore, Rodgers could unearth a dream replacement for Jota by getting a deal over the line for the South Korean whiz and helping him to adjust to playing in a thriving team, which could – in turn – improve his output in the final third.

There has been an update regarding Manchester United's pursuit of Southampton starlet, Romeo Lavia, with the Red Devils still seemingly keen to strengthen their midfield ranks despite securing the signing of Mason Mount.

What are the latest Man United transfer rumours?

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, the Old Trafford outfit are among a raft of Premier League clubs who are interested in signing the 19-year-old this summer, with the one-cap Belgium international said to be valued at around £50m by the Championship side.

Writing on Twitter regarding that interest, the transfer insider stated: "Romeo Lavia is emerging as one of this summer's most in-demand players. Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea have all held talks, whilst former club Man City, Man Utd and Newcastle are being kept informed. Southampton want £50m… "

In his attached piece for 90min, Bailey goes onto add that none of those suitors are believed to be willing to meet the Saints' asking price at present, with some form of compromise needing to be met as the 5 foot 11 teenager is seemingly not keen to ply his trade in the second tier next season.

How good is Romeo Lavia?

Despite having just a year of senior football under his belt, the former Manchester City gem has warranted such hefty interest amid what was a breakout 2022/23 campaign at the St Mary's Stadium, with the youngster quickly proving himself something of a "monster" in the centre of the park, according to journalist Benjy Nurick.

While Erik ten Hag has already bolstered his midfield department with the signing of Mount, there are reports that the Dutchman would ideally like to bring in another body following the Englishman's arrival, particularly with both Scott McTominay and Fred potentially up for grabs.

Amid that desire for a new midfielder, there has been much speculation that the former Ajax boss is keen on a reunion with Moroccan midfielder, Sofyan Amrabat, having previously coached the 26-year-old at Eredivisie side FC Utrecht.

The Netherlands-born maestro would reportedly cost in the region of just €30m (£26m) due to his expiring contract with current side, Fiorentina, albeit with rumours abound that the 6 foot 1 ace would prefer a move to Spain – amid interest from Barcelona.

As such, the signing of Lavia – who already boasts Premier League experience – could represent a dream alternative as far as Ten Hag is concerned, with the Saints star also a figure who the 53-year-old can build his side around for the next decade or so, due to his youth.

While a major benefit of Amrabat's capture would be his ability to dictate proceedings and offer a composed presence in front of the back four – as he ranks in the top 5% among his European peers for pass completion at an average of 88.8% – Lavia can also act as that midfield metronome, as he has averaged 86.2% in that regard over the last 365 days.

In a defensive sense, it is the latter man who comes out on top, however, with the Belgian ace having averaged 3.2 interceptions and tackles per game in the Premier League last term, while Amrabat averaged just two tackles and interceptions per game in Serie A.

As a point of reference, United's Brazilian monster Casemiro averaged 4.4 in that regard in 2022/23, ensuring that it is Lavia who could prove to be a more natural successor to the 31-year-old as that ball-winning asset at the base of the midfield.

While, of course, the aforementioned £50m price tag could prove a sticking point, if the Red Devils are to strike a deal for the Brussels-born machine it would no doubt be a very wise investment.

Former Barcelona full-back Junior Firpo has detailed to pressures of playing in Catalonia, taking aim at former boss Ronald Koeman.

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• Signed in 2019, never cracked first team
• Received threats after disappointing debut
• Criticised Koeman for management style

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Firpo arrived in Catalunya as an apparent back-up to Jordi Alba. However, he never found his footing for Barca, struggling for minutes, and experiencing difficulties on and off the pitch during a turbulent two-year spell. Firpo detailed the difficulties of playing for one of Europe's biggest clubs in an interview with .

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  WHAT FIRPO SAID ABOUT HIS FIRST START

  The full-back admitted his Barca career got off to a poor start, when he was removed from the game at half-time of his full debut: "Starting like this, with a mistake in my first game as a starter… and on top of that the coach took me off at half-time. That makes you start off on a very bad foot and with criticism. As much as I didn't try to read them, nowadays everything reaches you, especially with social networks. After that game I had thousands of comments and insults, thousands of private messages and threats."

• WHAT HE SAID ABOUT WHY HE DIDN'T LEAVE THE CLUB

  After his first season, Firpo had a good option to go to Inter, but spurned it due to his newborn son's health problems: "My second child was born with lung problems and I made the decision to stay in Barcelona. The medical services were very good and I did not want to make a move between countries after such a complicated time entering and leaving the hospital.

  "I slept in the hospital, I went to train and returned to the hospital. My son Jasson was in the ICU and only one of my wife and I could go visit him for about 5 or 10 minutes two or three times a day."

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  WHAT HE SAID ABOUT RONALD KOEMAN

  After agreeing to stay at the club, Firpo clashed with new boss Koeman, who forced him out of the side: "Koeman gave me an answer in which he was not being honest: he told me that I was contaminating the group, so I stopped trying."

To ensure that Everton enjoys a more comfortable season, whereby they’re further distanced from relegation, Sean Dyche will need to add more attacking impetus to his side.

Last term, the Merseyside outfit netted just a miserable 35 goals in the Premier, which was the second-lowest in the division. They only scored two or more times in a single game on six occasions to underline their lack of forward threat.

Due to their current predicament, they don’t have time to allow players for periods of adaptation – they need proven top-flight players to hit the ground running.

One man who has recently suffered relegation from the Premier League but will be on the lookout for an instant return is Wilfried Gnonto, who has been linked with a move to Goodison Park.

What’s the latest on Wilfried Gnonto to Everton?

According to Sport Italia, Gnonto is 'very close' to completing a move to Everton, with the fee for the Italian understood to be around €22m (£19m).

The report also states that Aston Villa are interested in the 19-year-old, but are yet to Leeds’ valuation.

In a previous article, Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor said Everton had been showing “interest” and named Gnonto in a group alongside Jack Harrison and Crysencio Summerville who were being courted by the Toffees, saying:

“I think these are the players that probably need to be moved on. They're probably not going to be there next season and once they go, there'll be a clearer sort of transfer budget. So I think departures should be the priority at this moment in time [for Leeds]."

This signing would finally see Everton begin to reinvest the £45m they accrued from the controversial sale of Anthony Gordon with Gnonto being an extremely shrewd acquisition.

Would Wilfried Gnonto be a good signing for Everton?

The former Inter Milan academy graduate joined Leeds last summer and in what was an extremely difficult season for the Yorkshire Giant, he emerged with a commendable reputation.

In just 14 top-flight starts, the winger recorded six goal involvements. The reluctance of Javi Gracia to give the winger regular minutes, only awarding him with three starts in 11 games, was a particularly baffling situation.

Back in January, after Leeds suffered a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville was full of praise for the £20k-per-week dynamo, saying:

“I've seen a special young talent. He was absolutely exceptional. Honestly, sometimes you see potential and talent and you are excited but I watched him so closely, and his understanding of where to be, his choice of pass, his choice of when to run with it, his awareness if his teammates, really, really good.”

A player of this direct and effervescent profile could be the man to reignite the stuttering career of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Last campaign, the Englishman was restricted to just 17 domestic appearances due to persistent injury problems but has previously indicated that he has the devastating potential the lead the Everton line.

During the 2020/21 campaign, the frontman bagged 16 goals and formed a solid attacking partnership with Richarlison, who found the net on ten occasions.

This type of prolific link-up is what the Toffees have desperately lacked and Gnonto would be an ideal candidate to get Calvert-Lewin firing again.

Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati are set to make their T20 international debuts in a packed 2017-18 home season, the BCCI has announced. Between September and December, India will play 23 internationals – three Tests, 11 ODIs and nine T20Is – against Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka during the crammed home season.

India’s 2017-18 home season

• Australia: 5 ODIs in Chennai, Bengaluru, Nagpur, Indore and Kolkata; 3 T20Is in Hyderabad, Ranchi and Guwahati.

• New Zealand: 3 ODIs in Pune, Mumbai and Kanpur; 3 T20Is in Delhi, Cuttack and Rajkot.

• Sri Lanka: 3 Tests in Kolkata, Nagpur and Delhi; 3 ODIs in Dharamsala, Mohali and Vizag; 3 T20Is in Thiruvananthapuram, Indore and Mumbai.

Australia will be the first to arrive and are scheduled to play five ODIs and three T20Is in September-October, following which India will take on New Zealand in three ODIs and three T20Is. India’s home swing will then wind down with a full series against Sri Lanka, comprising three Tests, three ODIs and as many T20Is. This is the second season in a row that India will host more than 20 international games after a record 2016-17 season that saw 13 Tests, eight ODIs and three T20Is being played.BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary said the dates for the three tours had not been finalised yet. “The dates of the matches have deliberately not been frozen today because the logistics must factor in local factors such as festivals because as you know Durga Puja being what it is in the whole of eastern India and not only in West Bengal and other public holidays and logistics of distance,” he told reporters in Kolkata at the end of a meeting of the board’s Tours and Fixtures Committee.With the final T20I against Sri Lanka is likely to take place in the third week of December, India are likely to have a short turnaround before their full tour of South Africa. While this would mean that the chances of a Boxing Day Test in South Africa – a fixture Cricket South Africa has been pressing for – are remote, Choudhary said the possibility couldn’t be ruled out. As ESPNcricinfo had earlier reported, Sri Lanka will bring forward their tour to India from February as they now host India and one other team in the tri-nation Independence Cup during the period.”Where the question of Sri Lanka’s arrival was concerned, that tweaking has had to happen because Sri Lanka is organising an Independence Cup in Sri Lanka,” Choudhary said. “And, that will be shortly after India’s return from South Africa. Now, Sri Lanka has always co-operated with India and therefore India will actually be making a reciprocal short-version tour only to play the Independence Cup.”There is another reason for the tweaking to take place. That’s because there were six proposed exchange of tours between India and Pakistan which did not happen. So those spaces had to be adjusted with other activities.”While Choudhary said either Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram will host a T20 international against Sri Lanka, Kerala Cricket Association secretary, Jayesh George, confirmed that the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram will stage the match on December 20. The Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, which has been a first-class venue, will play host to a T20 international against Australia.”Since we have the FIFA Under-17 World Cup matches and the ISL (Indian Super League) [football tournament] in Kochi, this game will take place in Thiruvananthapuram,” George told ESPNcricinfo. “After more than 25 years, an international match is coming to the city. We have to fine-tune a few things because it is a new venue and there will be some hindrances. But, we can sort it out. We have time as well and we will be conducting a Ranji Trophy match before it.”While the stadium has been inspected and given the approval by the BCCI, the ICC is expected to conduct an inspection soon. “The BCCI’s committee visited the stadium about two months ago and they were satisfied with it,” George said. “The ICC inspection should be just a formality because all the [eligibility] criteria have been fulfilled.

If the hosts lose on Friday, they will go 0-2 down with only two matches left

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu29-Jun-20171:52

Can change of scenery do West Indies good?

Match FactsFriday, June 30, 2017
Start time 0900 local (1300 GMT)Big PictureIndia came to the Caribbean after yielding their Champions Trophy crown but they haven’t taken long to find their happy place again. They scored 300-plus in less than 50 overs in their first completed match since the defeat to Pakistan, bringing the cricket world back to the status quo.If West Indies are to shake things up and more importantly stay alive in the series, they’ll have to find a way past India’s strongest suit: a top order that, by now, must be making runs as they sleepwalk. Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli are racking them up with such greed that their team-mates from Nos 4 might have forgotten how it feels to be out in the middle. Over the last six games, only twice has a middle-order batsman been needed to face even 40 balls. Both came in losing causes.If this trend is to be exploited though, West Indies have to do something India have, recently, been excellent at: maximising their strength. Jason Holder has under his charge a set of bowlers who are not typically threatening, but at this level, they should at least maintain a constricting line and length for as much as the 50 overs as possible. The two uncapped players they have added to the squad – Kyle Hope and Sunil Ambris – are batsmen so clearly this is the best bowling attack they have and perhaps Antigua will bring them better luck.2:37

I learn from my failures – Dhawan

Form guideWest Indies LWLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WLWWLIn the spotlightSkill-wise, there is very little going against Devendra Bishoo. He is a wristspinner – an essential commodity in ODIs now – but his consistency remains a problem. Good batsmen almost mark him down for approximately one short ball an over and milk him without too much trouble. If Bishoo can rectify this, he could be what West Indies need – a wicket-taker.He has always been a very good cutter of the ball, but now, when he plays the pull, and the hook, the change in Shikhar Dhawan is striking. He is no longer hurried into the shot, the swivel on the back foot is smooth, and the shot itself appears effortless – signs that he is picking the length early and trusting his technique, which he says has been calibrated to play the ball a little later and therefore a lot closer to his body. With 500 runs in his last nine innings, the adjustments are bringing rewards.Team newsConsidering West Indies dropped Kieran Powell and Jonathan Carter, who have played both ODIs of this series, and replaced them with Kyle Hope and Sunil Ambris, the two uncapped batsmen might just be looking at instant debuts.West Indies (probable): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Kyle Hope, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Jason Mohammed, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jason Holder (capt), 7 Rovman Powell/ Sunil Ambris, 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Devendra Bishoo, 11 Miguel Cummins,India tend to avoid experimenting in ODIs, but considering the potential of Rishabh Pant, who has hit a first-class triple-hundred at nearly run-a-ball, they may make an exception.India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Umesh YadavPitch and conditionsIn 15 matches at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium in North Sound, the average run-rate batting first has been 5.05. That roughly translates to an average total of 252. And barring the odd brief shower, the weather is expected to hold up well.Stats and trivia The last time West Indies won an ODI series against a top-eight team was in 2012, when they beat New Zealand 4-1. Since then, they’ve been beaten 16 times. India’s top-three have averaged 61.5 over the last two years. That’s 15 points higher than their nearest rivals South Africa

India women’s wicketkeeper-batsman Sushma Verma, who hardly got batting opportunities in the past, cashed in on the chance against Pakistan with a 35-ball 33

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-2017Sushma Verma has established herself as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper since making her debut in 2014. However, her contribution as a batsman has been minimal, largely because she has hardly had opportunities to prove herself. Prior to Sunday, she had batted just eight times in 22 ODIs, facing a grand sum of 56 deliveries, off which she scored 13 runs, a strike rate of 23.21.She batted at No. 8 or lower in seven of those eight innings. The last time she batted before Sunday, she was sent in at No. 10, even below Ekta Bisht, no more than a tailender. Until the Pakistan game, India’s third at the World Cup, this hardly mattered thanks to robust contributions from the top order. But on a sticky wicket with the top order having a rare off day, the team needed Verma to overcome her battles, and she did.Promoted to No. 7 ahead of the more-accomplished Jhulan Goswami, who has a reputation of being a big hitter, Verma exhibited tremendous composure and match awareness to make a 35-ball 33 to help India recover from 111 for 6 to 169 for 9. Her 34-run stand with Goswami for the seventh wicket, significant in the context of the game, earned plaudits from her captain Mithali Raj.”At that point in time, when we were losing wickets, it was important to slow down a little,” Raj explained of Verma’s promotion. “On a few occasions in domestic cricket, when our Central Zone side was in similar situation, she bailed us out. We expected her to play that role and she did until the 48th over. Those boundaries were also very crucial.”Her partnership [with Jhulan] got us to 170. We were looking for 170 when we lost the top four. When you play such matches, it’s important to continue the momentum but not every day will the same batters will score runs, so I’m happy someone has stood up to get those runs. It’s important we got this opportunity to reflect on our batting order.”Opportunities have been rare for Verma in domestic cricket too as she started her career with Himachal Pradesh and moved to Railways for better cricketing prospects. But moving to a more-established outfit also brought about a fresh set of challenges. Playing in a team that has a star-studded batting line-up that boasts of Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur and Punam Raut has largely meant that a berth in the top order, which she may have been guaranteed at Himachal, has been non-existent.In the entire 2016-17 season, she had four opportunities to impress, twice each in the one-dayers and T20 competition. She managed 21 in those four knocks. It’s a role she has taken awhile getting used to, but one she has grown to accept, Verma said. “The team management has been working a lot on the lower-order batting. We have been getting equal attention as the top and middle order. I was waiting for this opportunity.”I’ve understood I will have minimum balls to face, I need to make maximum impact. Today, there was such an opportunity. It’s not that I’m confident only because of wicketkeeping. For me, the main concern and focus is to score as many runs as possible in as little balls as possible.”